My Spanish neighbour said I’m ‘an English w**re’ who ‘walks around with your t*ts out’ and tried to attack me – but police accused me of making it up, and now I’M being taken to court
A British expat who was attacked by her Spanish neighbour is in disbelief after police ‘rejected’ her claims and accused her of making a ‘false report’.
Serena Coronado, an English teacher from London, claims the Guardia Civil refused to consider her complaint, alleging weeks of “xenophobic” verbal abuse and threats of violence.
Serena claims her male neighbour called her an “English whore” and repeatedly made sexual comments and threats, before eventually “going down on her” in the hallway of their apartment complex in Moaña, Galicia.
To defend himself, the 41-year-old doused the man with a homemade spray made with water and a dash of bathroom cleaner.
She had it with her to wipe her dog’s urine off the street, as required by law in Spain.
Serena Coronado (pictured), an English teacher from London, claims the Guardia Civil refused to even listen to her complaint, in which she alleged weeks of “xenophobic” verbal abuse and threats of violence.
Serena claims her male neighbor called her an “English whore” and repeatedly made sexual comments and threats before eventually “going down on her” in the hallway of their apartment building (pictured above) in Moana, Galicia
The next day, two Guardia Civil officers showed up at her door. They told her that her neighbor had reported her for assault because he had “injured his eyes” with the spray.
She then went to the local Guardia Civil police station to file a report, but she claims this was flatly “rejected”.
“The officers said it was just revenge for his report against me,” she said.
“They said, ‘This is scandalous, many women in Spain have destroyed men’s lives with false claims.’
‘I felt an enormous amount of sympathy for the women in this country who are victims of domestic or sexual violence and who have to end up in these offices, where sexist views are expressed so openly.’
Although she was able to report the incident to the Policia Nacional, Serena now faces a civil lawsuit and may have to pay attorney and court costs, plus a hefty fine.
“It feels surreal. How can you report a woman for defending herself?” she added.
“He must be so sure of his total impunity towards foreigners. I feel hated because I am different, as if people can do whatever they want with me because I am not part of the Galicia club.”
As Serena awaits trial, she fears she will be evicted from her apartment, where she has lived for nearly 10 years.
“I don’t feel safe at all. There’s hostility in my building and I feel like I’m being kicked out,” she said.
Since then, Serena’s neighbor has reportedly threatened her with violence again and both parties have reported incidents to police.
She has now taken refuge in the UK while she awaits trial in October.
Serena fears she will receive a hefty fine and a criminal record, which will leave her unable to continue her job as an English teacher.
She gave a detailed account of the alleged abuse, saying it all began in August this year when she claimed she caught the Spanish man watching her in her underwear while she was sitting on her balcony.
She claims he made casual comments to her, calling her a “worthless British whore” and telling her she was “not welcome in Spain”.
“It was clearly machismo and xenophobia,” she said.
Serena is pictured above with her dog and her Peruvian husband
“He said, ‘You’re a foreigner walking around with all your tits and hair hanging out, speaking English and thinking you’re better than all of us. You’re ridiculous.’
Two weeks later, her neighbor claimed she had stolen a package from outside his apartment.
She went to his front door to deny the accusation and was confronted with ‘increasing aggression’ in the ‘dark hallway’.
Serena alleged: ‘He was screaming, ‘We just got rid of that Chinese woman and now all we have to do is get rid of you and your s**aca husband.’
S**aca is a racial slur used against people from Latin America. Serena’s husband is from Peru.
Serena claims he added: ‘English bitch, I’m going to hit you and say it was your s**ca husband and they’re going to believe me and send him to jail.’
As Serena walked away, she said the neighbor lunged at her, forcing her to scream, “He’s attacking me!”
At that point she sprayed him with her homemade cleaning solution.
The next morning, two Guardia Civil officers were at her door, telling her that her neighbor had reported her for “injuring his eyes.”
Serena claims her neighbor’s eyes were not injured in the incident.
The next day, Serena went to the Moaña Guardia Civil to file her own report, but she claimed she had been “rejected.”
The Guardia Civil and the Policia Nacional have been asked for comment.